Inshorts Co-founder Azhar Iqubal’s Inspiring Journey 21BY72

There are not a lot of people who haven’t heard about the bit-sized news app—Inshorts. But do you know about the man behind this effectively genius idea? His name is Azhar Iqubal, the man who quit IIT-Delhi to pursue his dreams and turn it into a crore-rupee business.

And at Season 4 of Bharat’s Leading Startup Summit, organized by 21BY72, we had the privilege to get answers on how he got there. Let’s look at some insights from the chat and you can check out the full video on YouTube here.

First, more about the app, Inshorts isn’t just another news app; it’s one of the technology startups that helps you catch up on news and get a brief 60-word summary, save time and energy. You can read more on interesting topics after reading the short summary.

With his humble beginnings in Bihar, Azhar Iqubal has now become a driving force behind innovative startup ideas such as Inshorts and Fenado AI. He has become a Shark in Shark Tank India Season 4 to support the budding entrepreneurs.

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So, how did Azhar Iqubal go from an IIT-ian to becoming a Shark?

We all know that a marksheet can’t show anyone’s real talent. That’s also the case with Azhar; his startup journey began with a low GPA marksheet. However, it didn’t block Azhar’s founder mindset from developing an innovative idea.

It all started with a Facebook page in 2013. A page dedicated to providing short summaries of new articles to help their users access news easily and effortlessly. With support from IIT classmates and FB users they could trust with their ideas, they started building a startup. As they grew popular, they up-scaled and launched the Inshorts app in 2014.

Snippets of Azhar’s Fireside Chat at 21BY72!

The following are a few insights from the chat that can inspire and motivate entrepreneurs to grow their startups.

Choose a team that is curious

When Prateek Tosniwal asked how Azhar Iqubal chooses his team, his answer was something every entrepreneur should abide by when it comes to building a successful team: work with people who are curious and are willing to learn. Seems very cliche but this principle made him an extremely successful entrepreneur at the age of 32. He believes that a curious person will eventually learn and help you achieve your dreams.

Azhar on AI

Answering Rachit Poddar’s question about using AI in business, Azhar highlights how AI is a great tool that entrepreneurs must leverage. He focuses on the unique aspect of AI for each industry and how entrepreneurs need to understand about leveraging AI in their industries.

Criticism is unavoidable; focus on what your customers want

No business is free of criticism, and Inshorts was no different. While brief news is time-saving, some might consider it inefficient. Thus, Azhar further explains that they have integrated an option for users to read a full news article if they are interested in a particular topic with just a swipe. He further highlights that while critics are unavoidable, if the customers like it, you are bound to succeed.

Azhar on Shark Tank India’s role in the growth of the Startup India Ecosystem

When asked about his experience as a Shark on Shark Tank India, Azhar elaborates that he has been the show’s fan since its first season. He explains that Shark Tank India played a vital role in making startups a regular conversation among college students and even in small towns. It encourages people to know more about India’s startup ecosystem and become part of it.

He also shared the story of how, when he came up with Inshorts, he was the only one in his college who was thinking of a startup rather than a placement. Therefore, now not only IIT but every college student has the passion to create a startup.

Fund raising

Azhar Iqubal is among the best angel investors in India, one who has been part of Shark Tank India. Therefore, when asked about what qualities he looks for when investing, he gave an insightful answer.

Azhar answers that he looks at the financial records, but most importantly, he looks at the founder’s curiosity. He focuses on how dedicated and curious the founder is regarding their startup. It will help the investors understand how well the founder understands the industry. So, whether you are raising seed funding or growth funding, be curious about businesses and your industry.

Be curious and ask questions, maybe that’s where you’ll find inspiration

When the audience was given the chance to ask questions, one of the attendees asked Azhar about the qualities that helped him succeed. Azhar again highlights how he is a curious being and always asks questions. This allows him to understand how things work; if he doesn’t get an answer, that’s where the business opportunities lie.